Probe finds two S&WB supervisors fell asleep during water pressure drop that led to boil advisory

This photo shows a portion of the Sewerage & Water Board's water and power plant located on South Claiborne Avenue near the Jefferson Parish line. (NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune file photo by Ted Jackson)

January 10, 2019 at 1:48 PM CST - Updated January 10 at 4:02 PM

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Two Sewerage & Water Board supervisors fell asleep on the job amid a drop in water pressure that led to a precautionary boil advisory on the east bank in mid-November.

The two employees had overnight shifts and no longer work for the utility.

“Under my leadership on of my top priorities is service and what we do on the job. Sleeping is not what we do, so in that regard it’s not something I could support,” Mayor LaToya Cantrell said.

Previously, the New Orleans City Council held a meeting to ask S&WB leaders exactly what happened that led to the boil advisory.

"When the thing went off, did they freak out and say this is too much for me to handle and then run out, were they sick in the bathroom? Where were they," City Council member Jay Banks asked.

“They did not freak out, they opted to not be engaged,” S&WB Executive Director Ghassan Korban replied.

S&WB leaders said because the employees were not able to be reached, they lost precious time in making repairs and avoiding the loss in pressure. It is unclear where the employees were sleeping and there are no alarms in place.